La'el Collins, What Do We Know?!?

this is a discussion within the NFL Community Forum; Originally Posted by blackangold
Would be huge if we could land Collins.
LT Peat
LG Evans
C Unger
RG Collins
RT Armstead
OMG that would be a killer line.
Armstead is a pure LT.
Peat can play both but right ...

Its the American way... you have to let the system run its course. And you are suppose to be innocent until proven guilty but as time goes by you are treated like the criminal and yet no charges are even filed against you. It isn't fair at all.

But you can see why no team would touch him because if he does get charges on him and convicted, then you have that stink on you. Your damned if you do and damned if you don't!

Now I would think that he would have a grievance against the NFL but not being drafted or even signed one contract and played one day in the NFL he doesn't get to file those.

Peat is only 21. He's not nearly grown to what he will be. Talent is obvious, potential massive, but his current play is still inconsistent. Mayock pointed this out in his analysis. I've watched some tape on him, and it shows him playing too high sometimes, and being overwhelmed with bull rushes more often than I'd like.

So this year, I think he competes for the the RT position, but Strief wins (this year, just this year). Peat spends time as the backup, learning the offense, and the strength coach hovers over his shoulder the whole time.

Men typically continue to grow until age 25/26. 21 is a long way short of that.

Playing field is pretty much level for anyone to sign Collins at this point. His potential salary and bonus should be equal on any contract offer to him. I would hope staying in Louisiana would be the tipping point in our favor. That would be the steal of the draft to not need to waste a draft pick on a likely first round talent and have him under contract for UDFA money.

Former LSU offensive tackle La'el Collins met with Baton Rouge (Louisiana) police Monday as part of the investigation to the murder of Brittany Mills.

Collins, who went undrafted over the weekend, is not a suspect in the case. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Collins met with Baton Rouge police for a little more than an hour. Mills, who was 29 years old and pregnant at the time of her death, had a previous relationship with Collins.

"It went fine; we answered all their questions," Collins' lawyer, Jim Boren, said via The Times-Picayune. "La'el is not going to make any comments. I'm not going to have any comments. The investigation is going to continue. La'el is now going to start making an effort to start getting his football career back on track."

OverTheCap.com pointed out that rules state Collins is locked into signing a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent, for the minimum salaries of $435,000 in 2015, $525,000 in 2016, and $615,000 in 2017. Teams get less than $100,000 total to spend on signing bonuses for all undrafted free agents each season, OverTheCap.com said. Collins would be a restricted free agent at the end of that contract. He can't reapply for the 2016 draft after not being taken in 2015. His options, even if teams start bidding on his services, are extremely limited and not good for a player who might have gone in the top 15 if the draft was about a week earlier.